ANKARA (AA) - Turkey wants closer cooperation and strategic relations in the Balkans, Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay said on Thursday.
Making a keynote speech in the opening ceremony of the ''Balkan Strategies & Research Centers Cooperation Conference'' in Turkish capital of Ankara, Atalay underlined importance of closer cooperation among Balkan countries for peace, stability and security of this region and entire Europe.
Atalay stated that postponement of problems in this region would not be a solution and said that constructive initiatives should be launched for solution of these problems.
Recalling that Turkey pioneered some regional initiatives aiming at solution of problems, Atalay said that all those initiatives targeted development of relations and regional cooperation in the Balkans.
Atalay pointed out that a new structure had occurred in the Balkans after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
Noting that Turkey did not have any serious problems with the Balkan countries although these countries had some problems among themselves, Atalay said, ''Turkey wants a closer cooperation, strategic relations and a peaceful life in the Balkans.''
THE CONFERENCE
The conference is attended by 37 representatives of 22 strategic and research centers from nine Balkan countries including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro, Turkey and Greece. Turkey is represented by five think-tanks in the conference organized by the Strategic Researches Center of Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The participants will discuss formation of ''Balkan Communication Network'' and create a web-site for this network during the conference.
Also, a ''Balkan Contact Group'' is expected to be set up in this two-day conference to monitor matters concerning the Balkan countries and to coordinate initiatives and policies.
Risks of clashes in the Balkans, prevention of new conflicts, urgent solution of current crises, sustainable stability, participation of NGOs in security and peace keeping processes, development of security in the Balkans, human rights, and settlement of pluralist democracy will be discussed in this conference.
2005-06-09